1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of editing an assembly with CAD, and particularly, to a method of employing CAD to edit an assembly composed of sheet-metal parts.
2. Description of the Related Art
CAD enables designers to interactively design, for example assemblies each composed of a plurality of parts. Three-dimensional CAD is capable of editing an assembly composed of sheet-metal parts in a three-dimensional space.
The three-dimensional CAD handles an assembly as a data structure. The data structure includes data on parts that constitute the assembly and positional data of the parts.
Editing an assembly with CAD involves move and attach operations of parts of the assembly. The attach operation is carried out by specifying a reference element such as a point, line face, hole center, or the like on a moving part and a reference element on a target part and by spatially moving the moving part toward the target part, so that the reference element of the moving part may be attached to the reference element of the target part. Moving and combining parts in a three-dimensional space in CAD usually involve specifying a moving part and determining the quantities of spatial movement and rotation applied to the moving part.
Editing an assembly with CAD also involves a connection hole forming operation when connecting a part to another. This operation provides a part with a projection such as burring and the other part with a hole or a recess corresponding to the projection.
Editing an assembly with three-dimensional CAD is generally a complicated operation. For example, moving and attaching parts in a three-dimensional space in CAD require a special knowledge, and therefore, are not available for everybody.
The present invention provides a method of easily editing an assembly made of sheet-metal parts with CAD.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method of editing an assembly with CAD includes reading parts data defining parts that are made of sheet metal and are assembled into the assembly, reading attachment data defining attachment relationships among the parts, reading edit data defining edit states of the parts, reading assembling data defining an assembling sequence of the parts, and assembling the parts into the assembly according to the parts data, attachment data, edit data, and assembling data.
The first aspect reads parts data defining parts to be assembled into an assembly, attachment data defining attachment relationships among the parts, edit data defining edit states of the parts, and assembling data defining an assembling sequence of the parts. If there is a design or process change such as a change in metal thickness or welding process, the read data is referred to and is amended to provide a modified assembly.
According to the first aspect, the attachment data may include at least one of distance data, angle data, and connection data concerning the parts.
According to the first aspect the edit data may include at least one of connection-hole position data and connection-hole shape data concerning the parts.
According to the first aspect, the parts may include single parts and components each made of a plurality of single parts.
According to the first aspect, the assembling data may include data to assemble a component from single parts.
According to the first aspect, the method may include reading attribute data defining attributes of the parts, the attribute data, parts data, attachment data, edit data, and assembling data being used to assemble the parts into the assembly.
According to the first aspect, the attribute data may include data defining colors of the parts.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method of editing an assembly with CAD includes saving parts data defining parts that are made of sheet metal and are assembled into the assembly, saving attachment data defining attachment relationships among the parts, saving edit data defining edit states of the parts, and saving assembling data defining an assembling sequence of the parts.
The second aspect saves parts data, attachment data defining attachment relationships among the parts, edit data defining edit states of the parts, and assembling data defining an assembling sequence of the parts. If there is a design or process change such as a change in metal thickness or welding process, the saved data is referred to and is amended to provide a modified assembly.
According to the second aspect, the attachment data may include at least one of distance data, angle data, and connection data concerning the parts.
According to the second aspect the edit data may include at least one of connection-hole position data and connection-hole shape data concerning the parts.
According to the second aspect, the parts may include single parts and components each made of a plurality of single parts.
According to the second aspect, the assembling data may include data to assemble a component from single parts.
According to the second aspect, the method may include saving attribute data defining attributes of the parts.
According to the second aspect, the attribute data may include data defining colors of the parts.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method of editing an assembly with CAD includes selecting, through navigation, a first element of a first part among parts displayed on a CAD screen the parts being made of sheet metal and being assembled into the assembly, the navigation automatically selecting an element of a part under a cursor as the cursor is moved on the CAD screen, and dragging the first part including the first element with the cursor in one of horizontal and perpendicular directions relative to the first element.
The third aspect uses the nature of sheet-metal parts that they substantially have a constant thickness and moves the parts in a way appropriate for actual assembling work. The third aspect selects a first element of a first part through navigation and moves the first part relative to the first element.
According to the third aspect, the parts may include single parts and components each made of a plurality of single parts.
According to the third aspect, the first element may include one of a line or a face.
According to the third aspect, the method may include rotating the first part around the first element.
According to the third aspect, the method may include rotating the first part around a line or a normal to a face of the first part.
According to the third aspect, the method may include flipping the first part relative to the first element.
According to the third aspect, the method may include selecting, through navigation, a second element of a second part among the parts displayed on the CAD screen, and attaching the first element of the first part to the second element of the second part.
The third aspect drags the first part and attaches the first element of the first part to the second element of the second part. The third aspect visually and intuitively moves and attaches parts. The third aspect easily selects the second element through navigation. The third aspect employs dragging and dropping operations, to easily edit an assembly with CAD.
According to the third aspect, the second element may include one of a line or a face.
According to the third aspect, the first and second elements may be faces.
According to the third aspect, the method may include setting an attaching state of the first and second elements.
According to the third aspect, the operation of setting an attaching state may set at least one of the distance, angle, and connection of the first and second parts.
According to the third aspect, the operation of setting an attaching state may display a dialog window and may be carried out through the dialog window.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of editing an assembly with CAD includes selecting a first part in which a connection hole is formed among parts that are made of sheet metal and are assembled into the assembly, selecting a first face from the first part and setting a type of the connection hole to be formed in the first face, setting a location of the connection hole on the first face, and finding a second face of a second part corresponding to the first face.
The fourth aspect automatically finds a second face corresponding to the first face, to easily form a combination of, for example, a projection such as burring and a hole in the first and second faces.
According to the fourth aspect, the operation of setting a type of the connection hole may include choosing a type of the connection hole from a group including burring and tapping.
According to the fourth aspect, the operations of setting the type and location of the connection hole may display a dialog window and may be carried out through the dialog window.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a computer readable medium contains software of editing an assembly with CAD, wherein the software includes reading parts data defining parts that are made of sheet metal and are assembled into the assembly, reading attachment data defining attachment relationships among the parts, reading edit data defining edit states of the parts, reading assembling data defining an assembling sequence of the parts, and assembling the parts into the assembly according to the parts data, attachment data, edit data, and assembling data.
According to the fifth aspect, the computer readable medium may include at least one of hard disk drives, magnetic or optical disks, and magnetic tapes.
According to the fifth aspect, the attachment data may include at least one of distance data, angle data, and connection data concerning the parts.
According to the fifth aspect, the edit data may include at least one of connection-hole position data and connection-hole shape data concerning the parts.
According to the fifth aspect, the parts may include single parts and components, each component being made of a plurality of single parts.
According to the fifth aspect, the assembling data may include data to assemble a component from single parts.
According to the fifth aspect, the software may further include reading attribute data defining attributes of the parts, the attribute data parts data, attachment data, edit data, and assembling data being used to assemble the parts into the assembly.
According to the fifth aspect, the attribute data may include data defining colors of the parts.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a computer readable medium contains software of editing an assembly with CAD, wherein the software includes saving parts data defining parts that are made of sheet metal and are assembled into the assembly, saving attachment data defining attachment relationships among the parts, saving edit data defining edit states of the parts, and saving assembling data defining an assembling sequence of the parts.
According to the sixth aspect, the computer readable medium may include at least one of hard disk drives, magnetic or optical disks, and magnetic tapes.
According to the sixth aspect, the attachment data may include at least one of distance data, angle data, and connection data concerning the parts.
According to the sixth aspect, the edit data may include at least one of connection-hole position data and connection-hole shape data concerning the parts.
According to the sixth aspect, the parts may include single parts and components, each component being made of a plurality of single parts.
According to the sixth aspect, the assembling data may include data to assemble a component from single parts.
According to the sixth aspect, the software may further include saving attribute data defining attributes of the parts.
According to the sixth aspect, the attribute data may include data defining colors of the parts.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a computer readable medium contains software of editing an assembly with CAD, wherein the software includes selecting, through navigation, a first element of a first part among parts displayed on a CAD screen, the parts being made of sheet metal and being assembled into the assembly, the navigation automatically selecting an element of a part under a cursor as the cursor is moved on the CAD screen, and dragging the first part including the first element with the cursor in one of horizontal and perpendicular directions relative to the first element.
According to the seventh aspect, the medium may include at least one of hard disk drives, magnetic or optical disks, and magnetic tapes.
According to the seventh aspect the parts may include single parts and components, each component being made of a plurality of single parts.
According to the seventh aspect the first element may include one of a line or a face.
According to the seventh aspect, the software may include rotating the first part around the first element.
According to the seventh aspect, the software may include rotating the first part around a line or a normal to a face of the first part.
According to the seventh aspect, the software may include flipping the first part relative to the first element.
According to the seventh aspect, the software may further include selecting, through navigation, a second element of a second part among the parts displayed on the CAD screen, and attaching the first element of the first part to the second element of the second part.
According to the seventh aspect, the second element may include one of a line or a face.
According to the seventh aspect, the first and second elements may be faces, respectively.
According to the seventh aspect, the software may further include setting an attaching state of the first and second elements.
According to the seventh aspect, the operation of setting an attaching state may set at least one of the distance, angle, and connection of the first and second parts.
According to the seventh aspect, the operation of setting an attaching state may display a dialog window and is carried out through the dialog window.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a computer readable medium contains software of editing an assembly with CAD, wherein the software includes selecting a first part in which a connection hole is formed among parts that are made of sheet metal and are assembled into the assembly, selecting a first face from the first part and setting a type of the connection hole to be formed in the first face, setting a location of the connection hole on the first face, and finding a second face of a second part corresponding to the first face.
According to the eighth aspect, the medium may include at least one of hard disk drives, magnetic or optical disks, and magnetic tapes.
According to the eighth aspect, the operation of setting a type of the connection hole may include choosing a type of the connection hole from a group including burring and tapping.
According to the eighth aspect, the operations of setting the type and location of the connection hole may display a dialog window and may be carried out through the dialog window.